SAVANNAH, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken men's basketball team earned a 96-82 victory at Armstrong State Wednesday evening in a Peach Belt Conference contest.

The Pacers are now 12-4 on the year, including 6-3 against conference teams. The Pirates fall to 6-11 overall and 1-7 in league play.

Christian Nobles paced head coach Mark Vanderslice's team with a game-best 25 points. He was one of five in double figures for the victors.

Mark Matthews tallied 17 points while Jalin Barnes and Austin Grimes tallied 14 points apiece. Robert Hill narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and a team-best nine rebounds.

Paris Ballinger's three-point shot off a pass from Matthews gave USC Aiken its first lead of the game at 9-7 at the 17:07 mark.

In a back-and-forth contest for much of the first half, the Pacers started to take control on Henry Bolton III's three-pointer, making it a 38-36 game. Nobles, who assisted on the three-ball, drained a shot from downtown for a five-point edge. Matthews made it three straight baskets from behind the stripe for a 44-36 margin. A lay-up just before the buzzer pushed the squad's lead to 48-40 at halftime.

Thirty-eight seconds into the second half Matthews' shot found the bottom of the net for a 10-point lead. He drained a shot from downtown for a 13-point margin before the home team got on the board after halftime.

Although the Pirates made it a 55-51 game, Barnes would not let the home squad get any closer. Matthews dished off a pass to Barnes, who promptly converted a lay-up.

Matthews found Hill for a lay-up before Barnes connected on a pass to Nobles for a three-point shot and a 62-51 lead. Armstrong State would pull within seven, but small runs by Vanderslice's team would allow the visitors to maintain a healthy advantage.

Holding a double-digit lead for much of the second half, USC Aiken saw the margin dip to seven at 85-78 before Nobles hit a pair of free throws. Leading by seven once again, Barnes found Hill for a thunderous dunk.

The Pirates made it 90-82 with 1:23 left, but Hill registered another dunk before Nobles canned four straight free throws for the final score.

USC Aiken netted 36-of-67 from the floor (53.7 percent), including 14-of-33 from downtown (42.4 percent). The Pacers out-rebounded the Pirates 41-39.

Vanderslice's squad dished out 20 assists on the 36 field goals. The 14 shots from downtown marked the eighth-most baskets from behind the three-point stripe in school history.   

The Pacers return to action Saturday when they host UNC Pembroke at 7:30 p.m., for Homecoming. Live stats and video will be available at PacerSports.com.